Coastal Plains Institute

What Coastal Plains Institute does

Coastal Plains Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization headquartered in Crawfordville, Florida, focused on preserving the biotic diversity of the southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain through three operational pillars: Education, Research, and Land Conservancy. The organization operates two physical preserves — the 80-acre Apalachicola Lowlands Preserve (acquired 1994) and the 170-acre Crown Point Preserve (acquired 1996) — totaling 250 acres of conservation land. Its core programs include the Adopt-an-Ephemeral-Wetland initiative, the Striped Newt Repatriation effort (4,500+ individuals released), the Coastal Plain Adventures ecotourism program, and the Wetland Wagon mobile education unit, through which it has inventoried 1,513 wetlands and engaged more than 1,000 citizen scientists across 50 enrolled sites.

The organization generates revenue through a diversified nonprofit mix: individual donations and memberships, fee-based ecotours, competitive research grants, and mitigation service contracts. Its primary institutional customers and partners are state and federal agencies — notably the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection — alongside academic collaborators Florida A&M University and Florida State University. The organization has formally petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service three times (2008, 2011, 2018) seeking federal listing of the striped newt, positioning itself as a specialist scientific authority for this species within its range.

Coastal Plains Institute is a small (11–50 employees), founder-led nonprofit led by President Ryan Means, with founding scientist D. Bruce Means as a continuing institutional figure. Its business model is grant- and donation-dependent, with no disclosed capital raises, commercial product lines, or technology platform. Competitive defensibility rests on decades of accumulated field data, owned land conservation assets, and a standing network of volunteer citizen scientists, rather than on proprietary technology or scalable SaaS economics.

Name

Coastal Plains Institute

Legal name

Coastal Plains Institute, Inc.

Website

https://coastalplains.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Coastal Plains Institute is a Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that conserves southeastern Coastal Plain biodiversity through two land preserves, education programs, striped newt repatriation, and partnerships with state and federal wildlife agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC), Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Wetland conservation research
• Environmental education programs
• Ecotours field trips
• Amphibian species monitoring
• Land preserve management

Headquarters

HQ city

Crawfordville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: Tax-deductible contributions from individuals supporting conservation efforts. Membership options include sustaining monthly donations and annual or one-time gifts. Gift memberships also available.
2. Ecotours and Field Trips: Revenue generated from guided natural history tours including Secrets of the Wacissa, Big Bend Biodiversity Tours, wildflower tours, longleaf pine ecosystem tours, and carnivorous plant expeditions. Custom private tours also offered.
3. Research Grants and Contracts: Funding from government agencies including Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, U.S. Forest Service, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and St. Johns River Water Management District for specific research projects.
4. Mitigation Services: Acquired Crown Point Preserve as a mitigation package, receiving ownership and an endowment to assist in long-term management, providing ongoing funding for conservation activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Coastal Plains Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that preserves the biotic diversity of the southeastern United States Coastal Plain through three activities: Education, Research, and Land Conservancy. It offers guided ecotours (Coastal Plain Adventures), citizen science programs (Adopt an Ephemeral Wetland), wetland inventory and assessment services, environmental education field trips, and manages two conservation preserves (250 acres total) including longleaf pine restoration and pitcher plant bog conservation.

Product overview

Coastal Plains Institute offers a portfolio of conservation-focused programs including outdoor education (What Lives in the Wetland field trips, Wetland Wagon mobile classroom), citizen science (Adopt an Ephemeral Wetland Program), guided eco-tours (Coastal Plain Adventures), professional wetland services, and land conservation through two preserves. The Striped Newt Repatriation Project represents a major research initiative. The organization provides these services and programs to preserve southeastern Coastal Plain biodiversity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Coastal Plain Adventures: Guided adventure-learning tours of Florida natural wonders including river paddling tours and biodiversity tours in the Big Bend region.
• Adopt an Ephemeral Wetland Program

Products and services

• Coastal Plain Adventures Guided natural history tours of Florida ecosystems led by CPI president Ryan Means, offering custom private tours and scheduled group adventures including river paddling, biodiversity tours, wildflower tours, longleaf pine ecosystem tours, and carnivorous plant expeditions.
• What Lives in the Wetland Free outdoor education program for students and schools at Apalachicola National Forest, where participants check bucket traps encircling ephemeral wetlands to learn about amphibian life cycles, scientific investigation, and local ecology, aligned with NGSS and Common Core standards.
• Adopt an Ephemeral Wetland Program Citizen science program engaging volunteers to monitor amphibian populations in 50 Apalachicola National Forest wetlands through monthly training events, dipnetting, and data collection, with over 1,000 citizens engaged in the past five years.
• Ephemeral Wetland Services Professional consulting services including wetland inventory and restoration recommendations, amphibian species sampling and monitoring, and development of citizen science programs, with site-specific field guides, on-site training, equipment, and data management provided to government agencies and organizations.
• Striped Newt Repatriation Project Conservation project to reintroduce the imperiled striped newt (Notophthalmus perstriatus) to the Apalachicola National Forest through repatriation of captive-bred newts into six wetlands, involving drift fence monitoring and partnership with breeding institutions and non-profits.
• Apalachicola Lowlands Preserve 80-acre conservation preserve in Liberty County, Florida within Apalachicola National Forest, being converted from slash pine plantation to native longleaf pine forest, with 3 seepage bogs and a blackwater stream, serving as a biological research station and environmental education center.
• Crown Point Preserve 170-acre white-topped pitcher plant bog preserve on Perdido Bay in Escambia County, Florida, managed through prescribed fire to restore native carnivorous plant landscape, acquired as mitigation for nearby subdivision development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4,500 striped newts repatriated into Apalachicola National Forest wetlands
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government partner providing grants for striped newt conservation, ephemeral wetland research, and aquatic habitat restoration projects. CPI receives State Wildlife Grants and Aquatic Habitat Restoration grants for specific conservation initiatives.
• U.S. Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntered into Cost Share Agreement for striped newt repatriation project in Apalachicola National Forest. Ongoing collaboration for conservation work on national forest lands.
• Florida A&M UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for internship program, mentoring at least 8 students each year in conservation research and field methodologies.
• Florida State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for internship program, mentoring at least 8 students each year in conservation research. FSU's Learning Systems Institute created videos for the CPALMS Perspectives program describing field trip programs.
• Zoos and Breeding InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with breeding institutions and other non-profits for the striped newt repatriation project, enabling release of over 4,500 captive-bred newts into Apalachicola National Forest wetlands.
• Florida Department of Environmental ProtectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPI signed a conservation easement with FDEP for Crown Point Preserve, with the mission to restore and maintain the wet flat in perpetuity.
• St. Johns River Water Management DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on amphibian response to wetland augmentation study, evaluating effects of supplemental water application to wetlands impacted by municipal groundwater withdrawal.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Defenders of Wildlife: National wildlife conservation organization with active Florida panhandle programs focused on imperiled species. Overlaps with CPI's striped newt and rare species work but operates nationally.
• National Wildlife Federation: National conservation organization with significant Florida program. Comparable in wildlife and habitat advocacy mission, though operates at national scale with much broader programmatic reach.
• The Nature Conservancy - Florida: Global conservation organization with significant Florida program including longleaf pine restoration and panhandle land conservation. Overlaps with CPI's mission and geography but at vastly greater scale and funding base.

Emerging players

• Conservation Florida: Florida-focused land trust working to conserve natural and agricultural landscapes. Comparable in direct land conservation activity and Florida geographic focus, though broader in scope.

Direct peers

• Longleaf Alliance: Organization dedicated to restoring longleaf pine ecosystems across the Southeast. CPI's 80-acre Apalachicola Lowlands Preserve is being converted to native longleaf pine, creating direct mission and methodology overlap.
• Tampa Bay Watch: Florida-based nonprofit focused on coastal habitat restoration and community-based environmental education. Comparable in citizen science, school field trip programming, and small-staff conservation model.
• St. Johns Riverkeeper: Florida waterway advocacy and conservation nonprofit. Comparable nonprofit structure, regional Florida focus, and use of citizen engagement to support wetland and watershed protection.
• Tall Timbers Research Station: Tallahassee-area research station focused on fire ecology, longleaf pine restoration, and land management in the southeastern Coastal Plain. Highly comparable in geographic focus, scale, and core scientific mission around prescribed fire and upland ecosystem conservation.
• Apalachicola Riverkeeper: Watershed-focused nonprofit protecting the Apalachicola River and Bay system. Comparable in mission (Florida Panhandle conservation), nonprofit structure, and reliance on community engagement, with overlapping interest in amphibian and wetland habitat.

Others

• Florida Natural Areas Inventory: Statewide biological inventory initiative that compiles data on Florida's rare species and natural communities. Comparable in wetland inventory methodology and serves as a data aggregator adjacent to CPI's proprietary research outputs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stripednewts
• Facebookfacebook.com/coastalplainsinstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/coastalplainsinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coastal-plains-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coastal Plains Institute